1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system having a plurality of image signal generation sources each having a storage means for storing an image signal to be supplied to a single printer engine and, more particularly, to an image processing system, which can process both a character code and a multi-value image.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, a single printer engine is connected to a single image signal generation source, having a storage means, for transmitting bit map data to the printer engine, or they are integrally arranged.
However, in the prior art, since the printer engine and the image signal generation source have a one-to-one correspondence therebetween, the following problems are posed.
(1) In the case of an image signal generation source having an interpreter function for a page description language, since the single image signal generation source performs data development for one page, the processing speed is limited.
(2) When the image signal generation source can only process binary data, even when the printer engine can receive multi-value data, a print operation based on the multi-value data cannot be performed, and the performance of the printer engine cannot be sufficiently utilized.
In recent years, a printer system, which interprets codes or commands defined to express a document, image, or the like, which is created and converted by a computer, and outputs the document, image, or the like after image development corresponding to the resolution of a printer, has become popular.
However, since a printer system of this type performs the same processing for a vector-converted command image data portion such as a document, illustration, or the like in a PDL code as a code or command for defining a document or image created for a printer, and for a multi-value raster image data portion such as a natural image, these image data portions cannot be synthesized by optimal processing for generation of these images. For example, since multi-value raster image data is converted into, e.g., binary data like in character or illustration data, and is buffered in a page memory, image quality is often deteriorated.
Upon processing of the above-mentioned raster multi-value data and command image data portions, if these portions are processed in correspondence with the resolution of the raster multi-value data and the capacity of the image data, image quality can be improved. However, this method makes the arrangement of the entire system complex, and decreases the data processing speed.